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Yesterday, the AP reported that John McCain "sharply criticized Democratic rival Barack Obama for not having been to Iraq since 2006, and said they should visit the war zone together." Why not? They could visit the troops, bond a little before the coming bitter end of the campaign season, and not to mention, Obama could at least create a better-informed foreign policy platform. But Obama's spokesman told TPM that the "proposal is nothing more than a political stunt."

At Contentions, Jennifer Rubin says, "It is odd that on the most important foreign policy issue of the campaign (and of the next presidency) Obama can't bestir himself to run down all the facts, get all the viewpoints, look Iraqi and U.S. officials in the eye, and demonstrate to the public he can operate confidently with a wide array of military and diplomatic officials." So, why won't he go?

More by Samantha Sault

Bloggers agree: He is scared of what he will find in Iraq. Stop the ACLU Blog sums it up: "Obama is too scared he will see something outside the lines of his pre-conceived notions of failure. He obviously doesn't want to find a reason not to surrender." Redstate's Dan McLaughlin adds, "McCain is betting that Americans want a wartime leader who actually cares what the war looks like from Baghdad to the people charged with fighting it--not what it looks like from the streets of Chicago to the people fighting against the mission." And Jules Crittenden is more blunt.

Obama might have problems whether or not he goes. Hot Air's Ed Morrissey says, "If Obama goes, he risks his standing with the hard-Left haters of the military and exposes himself to the optimistic findings in the briefing. If he doesn't go, McCain can openly wonder why Obama wants to meet with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and not David Petraeus." It is interesting who Obama thinks is fit to visit. Drew M. at Ace of Spades explains, "I guess the idea of sitting down with American troops, their leaders and the elected government of Iraq isn't as interesting as a world tour of thugs and killers. Perhaps if McCain had suggested skipping Baghdad and going right on to Tehran to chat with Ahmadinejad Obama would have been more interested."